BOX SCORECAYCE, S.C. – Ten-time defending champion South Carolina State University was able to hold off a hot North Carolina Central University squad with a 4-1 win in the semifinals of the 2015 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Women's Tennis Championship on Friday afternoon at the Cayce Tennis and Fitness Center.
Senior
Rebecca Wood picked up the Lady Eagles' lone point. NCCU was making it second appearance in the MEAC semifinals in the past three seasons and ends its 2015 campaign at 9-15 overall. The Lady Eagles finished 2015 strong going 5-3 in April.
Wood also won at doubles with fellow senior
Ekaterina Nekrasova. The duo did not lose a game in coasting to an 8-0 triumph but SCSU took the first and third doubles tilts to secure the first team point.
The Lady Bulldogs advanced to the finals again with straight set singles wins from their third, fourth and sixth flight netters. SCSU moved over .500 at 9-8 heading into the championship match against Bethune-Cookman University as the Lady Bulldogs will try and retain its league championship title for an 11th consecutive year.
Despite a 4-1 final score, the Lady Eagles were on SCSU's heels with NCCU junior
Aissa Muamba and sophomore
Lynsey Cover both involved in tight third sets that could have gone in favor of NCCU. Both contests were stopped after the Lady Bulldogs posted their fourth team point.
Wood finished her final season at 14-9 with her unblemished 6-0, 6-0 conquest in the No. 2 singles match. She joined Muamba (17-6) and Nekrasova (16-8) with winning singles records this year. Wood and Nekrasova also accounted for a dozen doubles wins partnering together in 2015.
First year head coach
Hans Olsen improved NCCU's win total by four victories from a year ago.
